Cascade system for defrost moisture evaporation



March 1954 v LE ROY R. PATTERSON, JR 7 0 CASCADE SYSTEM FOR DEFROST MOISTURE EVAPORATION Filed June 5, 1952 Inventor: LeFQog Rpattersqn Jr:

His Attornea.

Patented Mar. 9, 1954 CASCADE SYSTEM FOR DEFROST MOISTURE EVAPORATION Le Roy R. Patterson, Jr., Erie, Pa., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application June 5, 1952, Serial No. 291,842

12 Claims. 1

My invention relates to refrigeration apparatus and pertains more particularly to defrost moisture disposing apparatus.

Some refrigerators are provided with both automatic defrosting means and means whereby moisture resulting from a defrosting operation is automatically disposed of. This defrost moisture disposing means is usually in the form of a receptacle disposed in the machinery compartment of the refrigerator wherein a high ambient temperature usually prevails. The reoeptacle receives the defrost moisture and the high ambient temperature effectively evaporates the moisture whereby it is dissipated into the atmosphere. In refrigerator design, however, it is sometimes desirous to minimize the size of the machinery compartment in order to increase the size and, therefore, the capacity of the food storage compartment without affecting the outer dimensions of the refrigerator. To accomplish this the defrost moisture evaporating receptacle may be removed from the machinery compartment and mounted on the exterior of the refrigerator cabinet, as on the back wall. In this position and even when the moisture evaporating receptacle is located directly above a warm component of the refrigerating system such as a back-mounted condenser, the ambient temperature about the receptacle and, therefore, the rate of moisture evaporation therefrom may not as high as in the machinery compartment. In such an arrangement, the lower ambient temperature may be compensated for and a satisfactory evaporation rate may be obtained by increasing the surface area of the moisture to be evaporated. Accordingly, the primary object of my invention is to provide in a refrigerator an improved defrost moisture evaporating arrangement.

Another object of my invention is to provide in a refrigerator an improved defrost moisture evaporating arrangement wherein a substantial moisture suface area is exposed to the ambient temperature.

Still another object of my invention is to provide in a refrigerator including an exteriorly mounted condenser an improved exteriorly mounted defrost moisture evaporating arrangement wherein a substantial moisture surface area is exposed to the atmosphere immediately heated by the condenser.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty Whichicharacterize my invention will be point- 2 ed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this specification.

In carrying out the objects of my invention, I provide a refrigerator including a back-mounted condenser. Above the condenser I provide a plurality of vertically arranged and alternately oppositely inclined imperforate troughs and a drain pan disposed below the lowermost trough. Each trough is divided into compartments by a plurality of transverse dams or weirs. In a modification of my arrangement, alternate ones of the imperforate troughs are replaced by perforate inverted troughs, each formed to include sloping sides and being inclined in the same direction as the imperforate trough it replaces.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a refrigerator illustrating the preferred embodiment my my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a trough illustrating the effect of the weirs; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a modification of my invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, I have shown a refrigerator cabinet 1 including a. back wall 2. The cabinet I includes a fresh food compartment shown in outline and designated 3. The food storage compartment 3 is cooled by an evaporator in a refrigerating system, only the condenser 4 of which is shown and is suitably mounted on the rear wall 2. During normal operation of the refrigerating system, frost forms on the evaporator. In order that the system will operate efiiciently, a defrosting operation is periodically effected, by means not shown, whereby the frost is melted. The moisture resulting from the defrosting operation is conducted outside the cabinet I by a tube 3' projecting from the rear wall 2 adjacent the side of the cabinet.

Provided for receiving and disposing of the defrost moisture by effecting evaporation thereof is a moisture cascading system generally designated 5. The cascading system 5 is disposed substantially vertically above the condenser 4 and includes a plurality of substantially vertically arranged and alternately oppositely inclined imperforate troughs 6 secured to the rear wall 2 of the cabinet I. The cascading system 5 further includes a drain pan 1 disposed beneath the lowermost of the troughs 6. Any number of troughs 6 may be employed; however, I prefer showing four and hereinafter I shall refer to fourth downthem as the first, second, third, and troughs, starting at the top and working wardly.

Each of the troughs 6 is elongated and includes an upper end wall 8 and a plurality of V-notch transverse dams or weirs 9. As better seen in Fig. 2, I prefer employing three weirs in each trough, although only two or more than three could be employed if desired. With three weirs in each trough, the troughs are each divided into three compartments. The uppermost compartment or the one at the upper end of each inclined trough 6 is designated iii, the middle one 5%, and the lowest or the one at the lower end of each inclined trough is designated l2.

The uppermost compartment it] of the first trough 6 is disposed for receiving the defrost moisture directly from the tube 3. The second and fourth troughs are offset endwise slightly with, respect, to the first and third troughs and the drain pan 1. This positions the uppermost compartment H! of the second and fourth troughs under the lower ends of the first and third troughs and positions the drain pan 7 under the lower end of the fourth and lowermost trough.

The V notches in the upper edges of the weirs 2! determine the levels attainable by moisture in the various compartments. With this arrange-- ment and upon commencement of a flow of de frost moisture from the tube 3', the uppers; compartment It; of the first of the troughs 5 becomes filled first. When this compartment filled to a leveldetermined by the V notch in the weir 9 forming a wall of the compartment W, t moisture overflows into the middle conngarz: n H. When the middle compartment ii beco filled to capacity, the moisture overflows into lowermost compartment 52. After the lowe compartment {2 has become filled, the moisture flows over the weir 9 at the lower old of the first trough and into the uppermost compartment I of the second trough. Continued flow of defrost moisture results in all of the various, compartments of all four troughs becoming filled in the manner shown in Fig. If the amount of defrost moisture exceeds he total capacity of the troughs, it overflows from the lower most compartment i2, in the fourth trough into the drain pan 1.

As seen in Fig. 2, the provision of the weirs 3 to form several moisture-holding compartments in each of the several troughs 6 results in a sub stantially larger total moisture surface area being exposed to the ambient temperature than would be the case if no weirs or if just the lower end weirs were, provided in the troughs. Linoreasing the surface area exposed to the ambient tem perature in this manner results in an increase in the moisture evaporation rate. The rate at which the defrost moisture evaporates from the several troughs 6 and the drain pan l is increased still further due to the positioning of the moisture cascading system substantially vertically above the condenser 4. This results from te fact that the heat dissipated by the condenser l naturallyrises and increases the ambient temperature at the various moisture surfaces in the various trough compartments.

In a modification ofmy invention illustrated in Fig. 3, the arrangement remains the same in that it includes imperforate troughs 5, the drain pan 1, and the condenser i disposed substantially directly below the drain pan. It differs only in that alternate ones of the imperforate troughs I are replaced by perforate inverted troughs i3 including sloping side portions I l. I prefer forming the perforate inverted troughs l3 of anodized aluminum wire screening. However, it is to be understood that the screening could be of any 5 similarly easily wettable material. It is to be understood further that while I use wire screening, the perforated troughs It could be formed of any easily wettable sheet material in which is formed a multitude of perforations. In Fig. 3, the second and fourth imperforate troughs 6 have been replaced by the wire screening inverted troughs. [3. The wire screening troughs l3, like the imperforate troughs which they replace, are offset endwise so as. to receive the moisture that overflows from the lowermost compartments 12 of the first and third ones of the troughs 6. The inclination of the wire screening troughs l3 and the slopes of the sides l4 thereof are such that defrost moisture received on the upper portions thereof flows completely over the inclined sides and fills substantially all the perforations therein. Thus, the sides of the wire screening troughs it become substantially completely wetted, thereby to expose a substantial total moisture surface area to the ambient temperature for evaporation. The inclination of the wire screen troughs and the slopes of the sides l4 thereof are also such that moisture in excess of the wetting capacity of the screening does not drip from the lateral edges of the inclined sides but gravitctes or flows to the lower end edges from which it drips to the next lower trough 5.

While I have shown and described specific em- .iments of my invention, I do not desire my iventlon to be limited to the particular forms shown and described and I intend by the appended claims to cover all modifications within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a refrigerator including means for conducting defrost moisture from the interior to the exterior of said refrigerator; defrost moisture disposing means comprising a plurality of spaced troughs mounted exteriorly on said refrigerator, said troughs being arranged in a substantially vertical plane, said troughs being alternately oppositely inclined whereby moisture received in the uppermost one of said troughs tends to cascade to the lowermost of said troughs, said uppermost trough receiving said defrost moisture from said defrost moisture conducting means, at least some of said troughs, each including a plurality of spaced weirs whereby said troughs in cluding said weirs are divided into a plurality of moisture-receiving compartments, said CQmlfart ments and said troughs being filled progressively downwardly whereby a substantial total surface area of said moisture is. exposed to ambient, temperature for evaporation of said moisture.

2. In a refrigerator including a refrigerating system and means for conducting defrost moisture from the interior to the exterior of said refrigerator; defrost moisture disposing means comprising a plurality of spaced troughs, mounted exteriorly on said refrigerator, said troughs being arranged in a substantially vertical plane, said troughs being alternately oppositely inclined whereby moisture received in the uppermost one of said troughs tends to cascade to the lowermost of said troughs, said uppermost trough receiving said defrost moisture from said defrost moisture conductingmeans, at least some of said troughs each including a. plurality ofspaced weirs whereby said troughs including said weirs are divided into a plurality of moisture-receiving compartments, said compartments and said troughs being filled progessively downwardly whereby a substantial total surface area of said moisture is exposed to ambient temperature for evaporation of said moisture, and a condenser in said refrigerating system mounted exteriorly on said refrigerator substantially directly below said troughs whereby the ambient temperature about said troughs is increased thereby to increase the rate of said moisture evaporation.

3. In a refrigerator including a refrigerating system and means for conducting defrost moisture from the interior to the exterior of said re frigerator; defrost moisture disposing means comprising a pan mounted horizontally on the exterior of said refrigerator, a plurality of spaced troughs mounted exteriorly on said refrigerator, said pan and said troughs being arranged in a substantially vertical plane, said troughs being alternately oppositely inclined and alternate ones of said troughs being ofi'set endwise with respect to the others of said troughs and said pan whereby moisture received in the uppermost of said troughs tends to cascade to said pan, said uppermost trough receiving said defrost moisture from said defrost moisture conducting means, at least some of said troughs each including a plurality of spaced weirs whereby said troughs including said weirs are divided into a plurality of moisture receiving compartments, said com partments and said troughs being filled progressively downwardly and said pan receiving the moisture in excess of the capacity of said troughs whereby a substantial total surface area of said moisture is exposed to ambient temperature for evaporation of said moisture, and a condenser in said refrigerating system mounted exteriorly on said refrigerator substantially directly below said pan whereby the ambient temperature about such troughs and said pan is increased thereby to increase the rate of said moisture evaporation.

4. In a refrigerator including means for conducting defrost moisture from the interior to the exterior of said refrigerator; defrost moisture disposing means comprising a plurality of spaced troughs mounted exteriorly on said refrigerator, said troughs being arranged in a substantially vertical plane, said troughs being alternately oppositely inclined whereby moisture received in the uppermost of said troughs tends to cascade to the lowermost of said troughs, said uppermost trough receiving said defrost moisture from said defrost moisture conducting means, each of said troughs including a plurality of spaced weirs whereby said troughs are each divided into a plurality of moisture holding compartments, said compartments and said troughs being filled progressively downwardly whereby a substantial total surface area of said moisture is exposed to ambient temperature for evaporation of said moisture.

5. In a refrigerator including a refrigerating system and means for conducting defrost moisture from the interior to the exterior of said refrigerator; defrost moisture disposing means comprising a plurality of spaced troughs mounted exteriorly on said refrigerator, said troughs being arranged in a substantially vertical plane, said troughs being alternately oppositely inclined whereby moisture received in the uppermost of said troughs tends to cascade to the lowermost of said troughs, said uppermost trough receiving in the upper portion thereof said defrost moisture from said defrost moisture conducting means, each of said troughs including a plurality of spaced weirs whereby said troughs are each divided into a plurality of moistureholding compartments, said compartments and said troughs being filled progressively downwardly whereby a substantial total surface area of said moisture is exposed to ambient temperature for evaporation of said moisture, and a condenser in said refrigerating system mounted exteriorly on said refrigerator substantially directly below said troughs whereby the ambient temperature about said troughs is increased thereby to increase the rate of said moisture evaporation.

6. In a refrigerator including a refrigerating system and means for conducting defrost moisture from the interior to the exterior of said refrigerator; defrost moisture disposing means comprising a pan mounted horizontally on the exterior of said refrigerator, a plurality of spaced troughs mounted exteriorly on said refrigerator, said pan and said troughs being arranged in a substantially vertical plane, said troughs being alternately oppositely inclined and alternate ones of said troughs being offset endwise with respect to the others of said troughs and said pan whereby moisture received in the uppermost of said troughs tends to cascade to said pan, said uppermost trough receiving in the upper portion thereof said defrost moisture from said defrost moisture conducting means, each of said troughs including a plurality of spaced weirs whereby said troughs are each divided into a plurality of moisture-holding compartments, said compartments and said troughs being filled progressively downwardly and said pan receiving the moisture in excess of the capacity of said troughs whereby a substantial total surface area of said moisture is exposed to ambient temperature for evaporation of said moisture, and a condenser in said refrigerating system mounted exteriorly on said refrigerator substantially directly below said pan whereby the ambient temperature about said troughs and said pan is increased thereby to increase the rate of said moisture evaporation.

7. In a refrigerator including a back wall, a refrigerating system, and means for conducting defrost moisture from the interior to the exterior of said refrigerator through said back Wall; defrost moisture evaporating means comprising a pan mounted horizontally on said back wall of said refrigerator, a plurality of spaced troughs mounted on said back wall, said pan and said troughs being arranged in a substantially vertical plane, said troughs being alternately oppositely inclined and alternate ones of said troughs being offset endwise with respect to the others of said troughs and said pan whereby moisture received in the uppermost of said troughs tends to cascade to said pan, said uppermost trough receiving in the upper portion thereof said defrost moisture from said defrost moisture conducting means, each of said troughs including a plurality of weirs whereby said troughs are each divided into a plurality of moisture-holding compartments, the upper edges of said weirs being notched to facilitate overflow of moisture from each compartment in a trough to the next lower compartment therein and from each trough to the next lower trough and to said pan, said compartments and said troughs being filled progressively downwardly and said pan receiving the moisture in excess of the capacity of said troughs whereby a substantial total sur face area of said moisture is exposed to ambient temperature for evaporation, and a condenser in said refrigerating system mounted on said back wall of said refrigerator substantially directly below said panwhereby the ambient temperature about said troughs and said pan is increased thereby to increase the rate of said moisture evaporation.

8 In a refrigerator including, means for con.- ducting defrost moisture from the interior to the exterior of said refrigerator; defrost moisture disposing means comprising an imperforate trough mounted exteriorly on said refrigerator, a perforate inverted trough mounted exteriorly on said refrigerator, said imperforate and-perforate troughs being arranged in a substantially vertical plane and oppositely inclined whereby moisture received by; the upper one of sair. troughs tends to cascade to the lower one of said troughs, said upper trough receiving said defrost moisture from said defrost moisture conducting means, said imperforate trough being divided into a plurality of moisture-holding compartments, said compartments in said imperforate trough and the perforations in said perforate trough being filled with moisture progressively downwardly whereby a substantial total surface area of said moisture is exposed to ambient temperature for evaporation of said moisture.

9. In a refrigerator including a refrigerating system and means for conducting defrost moisture from the interior to the exterior of said refrigerator; defrost moisture disposing means comprising an imperforate trough mounted exteriorly on said refrigerator, a perforate inverted trough, said perforate and imperforate trorghs being arrangedin a substantially vertical plane and oppositely inclined whereby moisture received by the upper one of said troughs tends to cascade to the lower one of said troughs, said upper trough receiving said defrost moisture from said defrost moisture conducting means, said imperforate trough including a plurality of spaced weirs whereby said imperforate trough is divided into a plurality of moisture-holding compartments, said compartments in said imperforate trough and the perforations in said perforate trough being filled with moisture progressively downwardly whereby a substantial total surface area of said moisture is exposed to ambient temperature for evaporation of said moisture, and a condenser in said refrigerating system mounted exteriorly on said refrigerator substantially directly below said imperforate and perforate troughs whereby the ambient temperature about said imperforate perforate troughs is increased thereby to increase the rate of said moisture evaporation.

10. In a refrigerator including a refrigerating system and means for conducting defrost moisture from the interior to the exterior of said refrigerator, defrost moisture disposing means comprising a pan mounted horizontally on the exterior of said refrigerator, an iifiperfor'at'e trough mounted exteriorly on said refrigerator, a perforate inverted trough mounted exteriorly on said refrigerator, said perforate trough including inclined sides, said imperforate and perforate troughs being arranged in a substantially vertical plane above said pan, said perforate and imperforate troughs being inclined oppo'sitely, the lower one of said troughs being offset endwise with respect to the upper one of said treason and said pan whereby moisture received by said upper trough tends to cascade tov said pan, thefu'pper portionv of said upper trough 'receiving said defrost, moisture from said defrost moisture conducting means, said imperforate trough including a plurality of spaced weirs whereby said imperfor'ate trough is divided into a plurality of moisture-holding compartments, said compartments in said imperforate trough and the perforations in said inclined sides of said perforate trough being filled with moisture progressively downwardly whereby a substantial total surface area of said moisture is exposed to ambient temperature for evaporation of said moisture, and a condenser in said refrigerating system mounted exteriorly on said refrigerator substantially directly below said pan whereby the ambient temperature about said pan and said imperforateand perforate troughs is increased thereby to increase the rate of said moisture evaporation. 7

11. In a refrigerator including a back wall, a refrigerating system and means for conducting defrost moisture from the interior to the exterior of said refrigerator through said back wall, defrost moisture evaporating means comprising a pan mounted horizontally on said back wall of said refrigerator, an imperforate trough mounted on said back wall, an inverted wire screening trough formed of an easily wettable material, said wire screening trough including sloping sides, said imperforate trough and said wire screening trough being arranged in a substantially vertical plane above said pan, said imperforate trough and said wire screening trough being inclined oppositely, the lower one of said troughs being offset endwise with respect to the upper one of said troughs and said pan whereby moisture received by said upper trough tends to cascade to said pan, the inclination of said wire screeningtrough and the slopes of said sides thereof effecting complete wetting of said sides and gravitation of moisture exceeding the wetting capacity of said wire screening trough to the lower ends thereof, the upper portion of said upper trough receiving said defrost moisture from said defrost moisture conducting means, said imperforate trough including a plurality of spaced weirs whereby said imperforate trough is divided into a plurality of moisture-holding compartments, the upper edge of each of said wirs being notched to facilitate overflow of moisture from each compartment in said imperforate trough to the next lower compartment therein and from the lower end of said imperferate trough, said compartments in said imperforate trough being filled and the inclined sides of said wire screening trough being wetted progiessively downwardly whereby a substantial total surface area of said moisture is exposed to ambient temperature for evaporation of said moisture, and a condenser in said refrigerating ystem mounted on said back Wall Substantially directly below said pan whereby the ambient temprature about said pm, said impei'forate trough and said wire screening trough is increased thereto increase the rate of said moisture evaporaion.

'12, In a refrigerator including a back wall, a refrigerating system, and means for conducting defrost moisture from the interior to the exterior of said refrigerator through said back wall, defrost moisture disposing means comprising a plurality of spaced troughs mounted on said back wall, said troughs beinga'rranged in a substantially vertical plane, said troughs being altersaid compartments and said troughs being filled o progressively downwardly whereby a substantial total surface area of said moisture is exposed to ambient temperature for evaporation of said moisture, and a condenser in said refrigerating system mounted on said back wall of said refrigerator substantially directly below said troughs whereby the ambient temperature about said troughs is increased thereby to increase the rate of said moisture evaporation.

LE ROY R. PATTERSON, JR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,145,776 Muflly Jan. 31, 1939 2,401,300 Gross June 4, 1946 

